Downtown Center BID & PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) Partner To Assist Downtown LA'S Homeless

Building on its long history of homeless outreach, the Downtown Center Business Improvement District’s [DCBID] recent partnership with PATH [People Assisting the Homeless] has exceeded all initial expectations during its first six months, announced Carol Schatz, President and CEO of the DCBID.

“Homelessness is one of the most critical issues currently facing Downtown Los Angeles and the DCBID has always strived to contribute meaningful support to our neighborhood’s homeless community. And the early returns from our new partnership with PATH appear to be making a significant difference,” said Schatz.

The partnership provides for two, full-time mobile outreach teams to engage homeless individuals and, utilizing the County’s foremost screening and triage tool (the Coordinated Entry System or CES), connect them with the most appropriate interim and permanent housing, mental health and wellness, education, and employment services.

The two mobile teams each consist of one PATH outreach worker and one of the BID’s specially trained ACTION Team members (employed via Chrysalis). In just their first six months, the two teams have engaged 430 new homeless individuals; entered 57 into CES; secured interim and permanent housing for 55; and assisted 40 with securing a DMV CA Identification, which is a crucial requirement for obtaining many of the city and county’s assistive services.

Fully financed by the DCBID, the partnership’s particular effectiveness has resulted from the experience, tools, and relationships both parties bring to the alliance. According to Tescia Uribe, LCSW, of PATH, “Due in large part to the BID ACTION team members’ relationships with many of the homeless individuals in the area, the teams have been extremely efficient, allowing them to engage and service a greater number of individuals and cover larger areas than anticipated.”

Combined with PATH’s experience, training, and relationships with a full complement of housing options, those experiencing homelessness are provided with a multitude of solutions for every individual engaged, whether they be single, a couple, or a family.

“While homelessness is one of the most complicated and multifaceted social challenges we face, experts agree that getting individuals into some form of housing is a critical step,” stated Schatz. “PATH’s industry-leading experience engaging the homeless population and guiding them to the most appropriate housing options gives the partnership the most complete solutions for self sufficiency,” Schatz added.

Over the past 15 years, the DCBID’s ACTION Team has assisted nearly 3,000 individuals in the Downtown homeless community with a variety of services including assistance into housing and rehabilitation programs, health screenings, clothing, blankets, and more. In 2014, the BID ACTION Team became an official administer of the Coordinated Entry System (CES) assessment, the County’s primary pre-screening and triage tool designed to be used by all service providers to quickly assess the health and social needs of homeless persons, and match them with the most appropriate support and housing interventions available. This new partnership has helped us to focus our efforts in the most effective way to help the greatest number of people.